Background

The workshop immerged from a joint mission by International Water Management Institute  (IWMI) and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Ethiopia in February- March 2002, in response to an enthusiastic support from the various Ethiopian ministries and other institutions for developing a long-term collaborative research and capacity building in integrated water and land resources management. Other visits and missions, including a workshop-planning mission in August 2002 by a senior IWMI staff member, confirmed this. The ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture along with IWMI and ILRI agreed to hold a 'Workshop on research and capacity building priorities 2002-2012'. This workshop was organised by representatives from the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization (EARO), ILRI and IWMI and was held in early December.

This proceedings presents the results of the ‘Workshop on integrated water and land management research and capacity building priorities for Ethiopia held from 2-4 December 2002. The Global Mechanism (GM) and International Development Research Council (IDRC) funded this workshop. The workshop brought together about 80 professionals, both researchers and practitioners, from a wide range of institutions in Ethiopia, in addition to the international participants. About 25 papers were presented and discussed on water and land management research. Participants were from federal and regional government agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), bilateral and multilateral partners. The information presented in this proceedings covers wide disciplinary areas in integrated water and land management.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) designed the workshop at the invitation and in collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia and other stakeholders. On the Government side, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization (EARO) has taken the lead, with the intention of bringing in other ministries and government and non-government entities. All parties are in the process of developing a broad long-term partnership aimed at helping Ethiopia to improve natural resources management (particularly water, land, and livestock) as a means to reduce poverty and promote sustainable agriculture-led economic growth.

For Ethiopia, all hope of reversing the negative trends with regard to natural resources and the conditions of its rural people center on improved natural resources management, especially water, land and livestock. Constraints to improving natural resource management abound at every level. The positive side is that the Government has made serious and important commitments to overcoming these constraints and promoting agriculture-led economic growth. Further, there is a clear strong commitment by non-government institutions, including universities, NGOs, regional and international institutions, and donors to work with Ethiopia in solving its problems.

The generated information is especially timely and important with the quickening pace of such initiatives as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI). The response from the various Ethiopian Ministries and other institutions to this workshop was enthusiastic support for developing a long-term collaborative research and capacity building effort. At the workshop, Ethiopian and international partners presented, discussed and finalized a framework for water, land and agricultural research and capacity building. The workshop served as a venue to consolidate the necessary research, capacity building and policy partnerships.